In the 2024 SSC examinations under Dhaka Education Board, 6,389 students were absent, with the Board able to collect detailed information on 1,203 of them. Alarmingly, around 40% had been married, with both girls and boys affected, signaling the scale of child marriage in Bangladesh. Among them, 21 girls were absent due to pregnancy, underscoring the consequences of early marriage on education. Over 7% dropped out due to financial hardship and had entered the labor force, while others cited illness, poor preparation, or family crises. 17 students had died.
Worryingly, 51% of these students said they would not continue education. The majority were rural, and most came from the business studies stream, with fewer dropouts from the science stream. 70% were regular students, while 30% were irregular candidates retaking exams.
This year also saw the lowest number of examinees in five years, and the number of students who filled out forms but didn’t show up was unusually high, over 26,000 were absent on day one nationwide.
The Dhaka Board conducted this investigation through Google Forms sent to schools, aiming to identify actual causes behind absenteeism, which had long gone unexamined. Experts had warned for years that without clear data, intervention would be ineffective.
The findings validate long-standing concerns about the links between poverty, child marriage, gender discrimination, and school dropouts. Experts like Rasheda K. Choudhury, a former caretaker government adviser, emphasized that social insecurity, gender bias in spending, and weak enforcement of child marriage laws contribute to girls being pulled out of school.
She called for greater government initiative, increased investment, and coordinated action across ministries, including partnerships with NGOs. The Dhaka Board plans to submit this report to the Ministry of Education for policy action.
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